Go Ds

Surely it's not just tradition. Wouldn't some club some time experimented with a shorter AFL preseason and learnt the hard way those extra weeks weren't just tradition.

Hmm, I'd say you'd be right. If I'm not mistaken soccer pitches are a lot smaller and matches don't go as long etc meaning fitness demands are a little less exacting . Surely players still get a few weeks completely off and the preseasons hence are a fair bit shorter than AFL ones. I guess if there's nothing like the 9-10 weeks gap AFL players can have from September to November that soccer players never get too rusty or lose much base-level fitness. But if soccer preseasons are maybe 6 or 7 weeks shorter than AFL's would anywhere near as many players surprise as much with skills improvement between seasons? I'd love to know.

I just learnt that the English Premier league goes for 40 weeks a year. In other words they only have 12 weeks for the rest of the year. AFL seems to have 13 weeks off (for the 10 non-finalists) and also a pre- season. Maybe I'm a little off topic but do the English soccer teams have a preseason? Surely their required levels of fitness are not hugely less than in AFL. Oh and if we ever try to have every team play each other twice we would have a similarly long season with the same questions I'm asking here.

Talking of PMs we'd have to go back to the 70s (both here and abroad ) and 80s for Melbourne coaches. Yes?

Wow! I finally solved one of these. Too late I guess. 😂

Simple and wholesome - but it's hard to be miserable hearing this laugh.

If only he hadn't tripped on that grassy knoll.

Good news! I'd rather England persist with this. 😂

I do love the story that Schwartzy parked his car, vanity plates and all, in the wrong spot - probably that of a board member or something. Anyway that guy came in and asked "Who's Theo X?"

That was Cross, yes?

Was it 2017 when Gawn got injured and Pedersen was a more than adequate stopgap. Thankfully he also cropped up in some games with a few goals. It was very easy to like this player

I heard of some story when Northey was coach and preseason was up somewhere near where he had previously lived Ballarat way. Don't quote me but something like an angry farmer came out with his shotgun shouting at the players as they ran past. I'm sure they sped up too. They learnt later it was a friend of Northey's putting on an act. 🙂

May be hard but it'd be cool if this stuff were on YouTube.

And his father was a mudder? And his mother was a mudder?

Hmm, he does have a premiership medallion and Im assuming still lots of money. He'd miss out on more if his years are numbered but he should be able to eke out a comfortable existence (as long as he's not throwing it away on the GG's, beer or other recreational substances.)